Cord and thread container



Sept 201927' y H. F. CARLSON ET AL c`oRD AND THREAD CONTAINER Fild Jamzo, 1927 MWD Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

HENRY F. CARLSON AND HENRY A. RECEN, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO.

com) AND THREAD CONTAINER.

ThisI invention relates to improvements in containers for thread, vcord or ribbons.

Where spools of thread or balls of crochet cotton, etc., are employed, it often happens that the spools fall on the floor and rollunderneath the furniture. The thread then becomes unw-ound and tangled. `Where crochet cotton is used, this is' usually wound into balls which readily become tangled and crushed.

It is the object of this invention to produce a container which shall be of the proper size to receive a spool of cotton thread or a ball of crochetthread and which shall be provided with 'a tension device Vwhich will permit the thread to be pulled out, but which will offer sufficient 'resistance to prevent kinking and which will also prevent more than the desired amount of thread from being unwound. This'inven'tion, briefly described, consists of a box which is preferably cylindrical and which is provided withV a cover having vsome suitable means for locking it in place. The side of this box or container is provided with a narrow slot extending inwardly from the open end thereof. Secured to the outside of the box and positioned so as to extend over the slot is a tension device about which the thread must pass and which will prevent it from unwinding too fast'. The box is also provided with a base by which it can be supported 1n up* right position from the upper surface of a table and which is separated from the box by a passageway that is adapted to receive one end of a U-shaped clamping spring or a strap.

' Having thus briefiy described the invention, we will now proceed to describe the same in detail, and .reference for this purpose will behad to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved container showing the same connected to the edge of a table;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2,

Figi n a semen taken a vertical piene Application l'ed January 20, 1927. Serial No. 162,264.

perpendicular to plane 2 2, Fig. 1 and shows a modification in which the clamping spring has been replaced by a strap.

Numeral 7 designates the box or container and S the cover portion thereof. The box portion of the container is preferably circular in cross section (Fig. 2) and is provided with a bottom 9 that is integral with the sides. The corner where the bottom is joined to the side is preferably rounded in the manner designated by numeral 10. The cover 8 has a cylindrical flange 11 whichl lits over the outside of the box. This flange is preferably provided with a plurality of bay cnet slots 12 which cooperate with pins 13 carried by the box and these serve as a means for locking the cover to the box. Other locking means may be employed if desired. A supporting memberor base 14 is secured to the container by mea-ns of two connectingy portions 15 and 16, which are spaced apart so as to form an opening or passageway 17 for the reception of one end of a U-shaped clamping spring 18 (Figs. l and 2) or a strap 19 (Fig. 6). The base 14 ispreferably concave on its lower side in the manner shown as this permits it to yield slightly when pressed against a solid fiat surface and also provides a curved outer surface for the strap 19 (Fig. 6). A slot 2O extends inwardly from the open end of the box towards the bottom and has its inner end inclined at an angle, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the box by means of rivets 22 or by any other suitable means, as by cement, is a tension member 23. This tension member may be formed from metal, nitrocellulose or from some phenolic condensation product. This tension member isprovided with a tongue 24 that is connected near its center to the part 23, by means of an integral part 25. The tongue is entirely enclosed by parts 23, 26, 27 and 28 from which it is separated at all points except where it is joined to 23 by the part 25. The end 29 of tongue 24 is pointed and is inclined inwardly towards the box so that the tip thereof rests on the outer surface of the box (Fig. 4). The other end 30 of the tongue is inclined outwardly (Fig. 4). If pressure is exerted 'on end 30, the part 25 will be twistedslightly so as to raise the point y29 up out of Contact with thev box 7 for the pur pose removing the thread. The side 2S ided at each end with a for the eased serves as a stop' In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of tension device which differs from the one above described merely in this, that the tongue 24 is also connected to the side 28 by an integral part 36.

It will be observed that the te-nsion member is connected to the box on one side of the slot 2O and is free from the box on the other side. When `the thread is to bey put into place, it is first passed through the slot 22 and-is then pulled towards the bottom 9 until it reaches the full lin-e position (Fig.

In order to get into the full line position shown in Fig. 3, the thread must pass underneath the tip 29 and when it is moved back to the dotted line position, it will slide up over the pointed end 29 until it comes into the notch 33. When the thread is now subjected to tension, it will move, but since it passes over the tongue 24 and underneath the bar 28 (Fig. 2) it will be subjected to considerable friction, which makes it necessary to apply considerable force to the thread to move it, and this will keep the thread from kinkiiig and snarling. The projections 31 prevent the thread from being pulled off from the bar 28. Attention is called to the projection 34C which should be so inclined that it will hold the thread in the notch 33 and prevent its accidental removal therefrom. l

When the thread is in use as, for example, when it is used for crocheting, the thread may be disconnected by the simple expedient of bringing it to the full line position in Fig. 3 and then exerting pressure on the end 30 so as to raise the point 29 away from the surface of the box, the thread can now be passed underneath the point and can then be pul'led out of the slot. The construction which permits the tongue 24 to be tilted therefore makes it possible to remove the container from the thread without cutting the lat-ter` The fact that the tip 29 is normally in contact with the surface of the container assures that the thread will not accidentally become disconnected and still permits ready insertion of the thread.

For convenience in cutting the thread, the container is provided with a knife blade 35 which may be located in any convenient p'lace.

This invent-ion, although it has been described as used with balls of crochet cotton, is obviously equally well suited for any other kind of thread and can also be used for tape or ribbons.

For spool cotton the containers may be made of the proper size to receive a spool and several of these containers may be secured to a base or support.

I-Iaving thus described our invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A thread container comprising a box having a removable cover, said box having a slot extending inwardly fromtheopen end thereof, a supporting device attached to said box and a tension device secured to the box and extending over said slot, said tension device having a tongue extending parallel with the slot, the inner end of said tongue contacting with the outer surface of the box.

2. A thread container comprising a box having a removable cover and a supporting base secured to the box by spaced connecting members, said base being separated from` the box between said connecting members so as to form a passageway for the reception of a securing device. e

3. A thread holder comprising a box having an open end and a slot extending inwardly from the open end, a cover adapted lto close the open end, means for locking the cover against accidental removal and a tension device secured to thebox at one side of the slot, said device comprising an elongated plate having a central opening and a tongue member within said opening, said tongue member being secured to the plate at a point intermedia te its` ends.

1l. A thread holder comprising a box hav-1 ing an open end and a slot extending inwardly from the open end, a cover adapted to close the open end, means for locking the cover against accidental removal and atenl sion device secured to thebox at one side of the slot, said device comprising an elongated plate having a central opening'anda tongue member within said opening, said tongue member being secured to the plate at a point intermediate its ends, one end of said tongue being pointed and cur-ved inwardly so as to contact with theoutersurface of the box andl the other end being spaced from the `surface of thebox whereby pressure on the last named end will cause the tongue to tilt so as to raise the pointed end out of contact with the surface of the box.

5. Means for producing tension on a thread or cord comprising, in combination, a

plate having a. slot extending inwardly from v one edge thereof, a tension device comprising a. plate secured to the slotted plate on one side of the slot, said. device having an opening, a tongue vwithin said opening, said tongue being secured to the secondk nam-ed Y plate at a point intermediate its ends, one end of said tongue being pointed and inclined towards the surface of the slotted plate so as to contact with the latter at the side of the slot opposite from that to which the device is secured.

6. Means for producing tension on a thread or cord comprising, in combination, -a plate having a slot extending inwardly from one edge thereof, a tension device comprising a plate secured to the slotted plate on one side of the slot, said device having an opening, a tongue within said opening, said tongue being secured to the secondnamed plate at a iso point intermediate its ends, one end of said tongue being pointed and inclined towards the surface of the slotted plate so as to contact with the latter at the side of the slot opposite from that to which the device is secured, said tension device plate having an outwardly extending projection (31) at each end of its free side.

7. A tension device for producing a tension on a thread comprising, in combination, a plate having a slot extending inwardly from one edge thereof, a. second plate secured to the first plate at one side of the slot and extending over the slot, said second plate having an opening, a tongue within said opening, said tongue extending parallel with the slot and means for attaching the tongue to the second plate at a point intermediate its ends, one end of said tongue being pointed and inclined inwardly so as to contact with the surface of the first plate on the side of the slot opposite from that to which the second pla-te is secured, the other end of the tongue being separated from the outer surface of the rst plate so that the tongue will be tilted about its point of attachment when pressure is applied to the last named end.

8. A thread container comprising a box having a narrow slot extending inwardl)7 from the open end thereof, an elongated tongue member having a lateral projection intermediate its ends, the extension extending across said slot and secured to the box, the tongue member extending along the slot on the side opposite from where the extension is secured to the box, said tongue having another extension which also extends across the slot but is unsecured to the box, the inner end of the tongue resting on the outer surface of the box while the remaining portions are spaced from the box.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

HENRY F. CARLSN. HENRY A. RECEN. 

